Matthias Alfen (born in 1965 in Aschaffenburg, Germany) grew up in an artistic family. His grandfather was a painter and photographer, and when his father took over the family photography business, Matthias often accompanied him on shoots; looking through the lens of his father’s camera he became interested in the creative process. At the age of eighteen, his interest in sculpture led him to a two-year apprenticeship at the Master School for Stonemasonry in Aschaffenburg. After this, Alfen earned a Masters of Fine Arts in painting and sculpture from the Berlin Art Academy. While he was still a student, the Federal German Republic purchased one of Alfen’s works for their permanent collection. After graduating, Alfen became the artist-in-residence of the city of Soest where he won a commission to design a fountain for their main square. Upon being awarded a Krasner/Pollock grant Alfen moved to the United States. He has had a solo show at the Housatonic Museum of Art. The noted art critic Donald Kuspit has referred to Alfen’s work as “a major contribution to-a brilliant extension of ‘the art of the scream’”.